Mooring device



April 16, 1935. J. J. KINGMAN El AL 1,997,586

MOORING DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS J. K/NGMA/V U HJ. CASEY ATTORNEY JOH BY z. he

April 1935- J, J. KINGMAN ET AL 1,997,586

MOORING DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1934 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORS JOHN J. KING/WAN I BY HUGH J. CASEY ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 16, 1935 1 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOORING DEVICE John J. Kingman, United States Army, Providence, R. I., and Hugh J. Casey, United States Army, Berlin, Germany Application January 25, 1934, Serial No. 708,282

' 10 Claims. (01. s1 4s) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) This invention relates in general to mooring the vertical recess 1 in wall 2 of a lock chamber. devices, and more specifically to floating mooring The device consists in the main of a water-tight devices operable automatically to adjust themtank or float 3, surmounted by a rigidly attached selves to changes in water level. yoke 4 carrying affixed thereto the mooring post 5 The principal object of the invention is to pro- 5. The tank and yoke as a unit are mounted for 5 vide a floating mooring device operable to mainvertical movement in the recess by means of a tain a mooring post at a constant height with resystem of vertical guides in the form of a pair of spect to a variable water level, and at the same side rails 6 and l, and a vertically positioned H- time in a substantially fixed vertical line, wherecolumn 8, said guides being rigidly fixed to the 1 by the necessity of repeated changes of mooring walls of the recess. The yoke has bearing on the 10 to posts fixed at different levels or repeated adside rails 6 and I through suitably mounted justments of the mooring hawsers is obviated. grooved rollers 9 and Ill, respectively, and has A further object of this invention is the provibearing against the inside surface of the front sion of a device of the above description capable flange of the H-column 8 through a pair of suit- 5 of being installed in a vertical recess in the wall ably mounted short cylindrical rollers H. For of a lock chamber, dock face, or the like. maintaining vertical alignment, the lower front The invention finds its chief utility in the moorportion of the tank carries a transverse yoke l 2 ing of boats, barges, or other water craft in looks, having bearing on the rails 6 and 1 through at docks, or at wharves subject to variation of grooved rollers 13 and M, respectively. Mounted Water level. This is of especial utility in a lock on the back of the tank in opposition to the front 20 chamber in cases where the watering or unwaterflange of the H-column is a vertical stiffening ing of the same might cause turbulence tending plate I5, of substantially the width of the flange. to displace the craft and endanger either it or The primary purpose of this plate is to stiffen the component parts of the lock if the filling or the back of the tank against buckling strains, and

emptying were conducted at a rapid rate, as secondarily to act as a wear plate between the 25 might be done to expedite lockage through a high tank and the H-column. lock. The purpose of the H-column in addition to its In such cases the craft would be held in proper guiding function is to resist the main outward position throughout the rise or fall of the water pull on the mooring post transmitted through the level without the necessity of repeated mooring yoke 4 and rollers H, while the additional func- 30 and unmooring. It is such repeated operations tion of the side rails and grooved rollers is to reduring rise and fall that would leave the craft free sist lateral pull on the mooring post. The tank or at intervals for displacement. float is designed with sufficient buoyance to main- Other objects and advantages of the invention tain the mooring post at the desired elevation will be apparent from a perusal of the following above the water level in the lock chamber. specifications and the drawings accompanying the Referring now to the modification shown in same. Figs. 5 and 6, the device as here shown is in- In the drawings: stalled in a reentrant recess l E in the lock wall ll Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device inand consists in the main of a tank or float I8 stalled in a vertical recess in the wall of a lock surmounted by a fabricated yoke I9 of box sec- 40 chamber. tion fixed rigidly to the top thereof. In this Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1. form of the invention the mooring post 20 is Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figmounted vertically within a flared recess 2i in ure 2. the outer face of the yoke. The tank and yoke -15 Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figas a unit are mounted for vertical movement in L5 ure 3. the recess 16 by means of a pair of vertical rail Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of p s 22 d 3 rigidly fixed the reentl'ant our invention; Fig. 6 is afragmentary sectionized fac s 24 and respectively, o the recess and front elevation of the modification shown in Fig. vertical pairs of cylindrical rollers 25 and 2'! 50 5; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a further modified suitabli mounted on the y engaging the l 50 form of our invention, and Fig. 8 is a fragmen plates 22 and 23, respectively. To insure against tary sectionized front elevation of the modificacontact of tank and yoke against the rear wall of tion shown in Fig.7. the recess, a pair of vertically extending wear Referring to the drawings in detail, and Figplates 28 and 29 are provided, rigidly fastened to ures l to 4, the device is here shown installed in the wall and symmetrically disposed with respect to the vertical center line of the tank and yoke. The parts are so arranged in relation to each other that when the rollers are in contact with the rail plates, there will be a substantial clearance between the back of the tank and yoke and the wear plates as indicated.

The angular relation of the reentrant faces and rail plates is such as to resist both outward and lateral pull on the mooring post transmitted to the rollers through the yoke.

The operation of this form of the invention is similar in all respects to that of the preferred form above described, except that the pull on the mooring post in this case is resisted by the two rail plates, thus doing away with the necessity for an additional guide and anchorage at the rear of the yoke.

It will be noted that while the device is under load in maintaining the moored craft in a safe position in the lock, either during the filling or emptying of the latter, the load is taken substantially wholly by the rollers and the rail plates, with the yoke and tank clear of the wear plates. It is only during such idling movement of the device as would occur in the filling or emptying of the chamber without the device being in use, that the latter would come in contact with the wear plates, preventing undue abrasion of the rear surface of the yoke and tank.

Referring now to the further modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the device here, as to the form and arrangement of the tank 30, the yoke 3 I, the mooring post 32, and recess 33, is the same as that of the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In the present form, however, the outward and lateral pulls are resisted separately by front and lateral vertically disposed rail plates 34-35 and 36-31, respectively. These pulls are transmitted from the mooring post through the yoke to the rail plates through their associated vertical pairs of cylindrical rollers 33-30 and ilk-4|, respectively, suitably mounted on the yoke. The laterally disposed rail plates 36 and 31 are rigidly mounted on the angular reentrant recess walls 42 and 43, respectively, while the front rail plates 34 and 35 are rigidly mounted on the forward reentrant faces 44 and 45, respectively. This form of the device is also provided with suitable vertically disposed wear plates 46 and 41, similar in all respects to those of the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The operation of this form of the invention is similar in all respects to that of the modification referred to above, except that the outward and lateral pulls are resisted separately by the for- Wardly and laterally disposed rails and rollers, respectively.

From the above it will be clear that in operation, assuming the water in the lock chamber to be at lower pool level, as the water rises in filling the lock, the tank or float will rise, carrying with it the yoke and mooring post, maintaining the latter always at the desired height above the changing water level, the reverse operation taking place in emptying the lock chamber. It will be noted that throughout these operations the mooring post and the mooring bitt on the moored vessel or barge will be kept in substantially constant relation, so that the use of two or more such devices disposed in suitably spaced relation to the moored craft will hold the latter properly positioned in the lock to prevent damage to either, and avoid the necessity of repeatedly shifting mooring points or taking up slack or releasing tension on mooring hawsers.

It is to be noted that while we have herein shown and described certain specific embodiments of the invention for the sake of disclosure, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, but contemplates all such modifications and variants thereof as fall fairly within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A mooring device comprising a flotation member adapted to be located and vertically actuated within a suitably formed recess, a superstructure secured to and surmounting said flotation member, said super-structure being formed to effect equal distribution of the load therethrough, a mooring element carried by the superstructure and means in connection with said recess and said super-structure for guiding said member and resisting the outward and lateral load stresses imparted to the mooring element and uniformly distributed through the union of superstructure and flotation member.

2. A mooring device comprising a flotation member adapted to be located and vertically actuated within a suitably formed recess, a superstructure secured to and surmounting said flotation member, said super-structure being formed to effect equal distribution of the load therethrough, a mooring element carried by the superstructure and means in connection with said recess and said super-structure for guiding said member and resisting the outward and lateral load stresses imparted to the mooring element and uniformly distributed through the union of super-structure and flotation member, said means being symmetrically disposed with respect to said mooring element.

3. A mooring device comprising a flotation member adapted to be located and vertically actuated within a suitably formed recess, the latter including rear and side walls, a frame secured to and surmounting said flotation member, a mooring element carried by the frame and means in connection with the walls of said recess and said frame for guiding said member and resisting the outward and lateral load stresses imparted to the mooring element, said means including a vertically arranged bearing surface affixed centrally of the rear wall and in oifset relation with respect thereto and a friction roller extending to the rear of the flotation member, said roller being adapted to travel the inner face of said bearing surface.

4. A mooring device comprising a flotation member adapted to be located and vertically actuated within a suitably formed recess, the latter including rear and side walls, a frame secured to and surmounting said flotation member, a mooring element carried by the frame and means in connection with the walls of said recess and said frame for guiding said member and resisting the outward and later load stresses imparted to the mooring element, said means including a vertically arranged bearing surface afilxed centrally of the rear wall and in ofl'set relation with respect thereto and a pair of aligned friction rollers journalled in said frame and disposed to the rear and centrally of the flotation member, said rollers being adapted to travel the inner face of said bearing surface.

5. A mooring device comprising a flotation member adapted to be located and vertically situated within a suitably formed recess, the latter including rear and side walls, a triangular shaped frame secured to and surmounting the flotation member, a mooring element carried by the frame and disposed centrally of its base, and means in connection with the walls of said recess and said frame for guiding the flotation member and resisting the outward and lateral load stresses imparted to the mooring element, said means being symmetrically arranged relative to the mooring element and including a vertically disposed bearing surface affixed centrally of the rear wall of said recess in offset relation thereto and a friction roller journalled in said frame and ex-- tending to the rear of said flotation member, said roller being adapted to travel the inner face of said bearing surface.

6. A mooring device comprising a flotation member adapted to be located and vertically situated within a suitably formed recess, the latter including rear and side walls, a triangular shaped frame secured to and surmounting the flotation member, a mooring element carried by the frame and disposed centrally of its base, and means in connection with the walls of said recess and said frame for guiding the flotation member and resisting the outward and lateral load stresses imparted to the mooring element, said means being symmetrically arranged relative to the mooring element and including a vertically arranged bearing surface affixed centrally of the rear wall of said recess in offset relation thereto, and a pair of aligning friction rollers journalled in said frame and extending to the rear and central of said flotation member, said rollers being adapted to travel the inner face of said bearing surface.

7. A mooring device comprising a flotation member adapted to be located and vertically actuated Within a suitably formed recess the latter including rear and side walls, a triangular shaped frame secured to and surmounting said flotation member, a mooring element carried by the frame and disposed centrally of its base, and means in connection with the walls of said recess and said frame for guiding said flotation member and resisting the outward and lateral load stresses imparted to the mooring element, said means being symmetrically arranged relative to the mooring element and including guide rollers journalled in the extremities of the base of said frame, guide rails coacting with the rollers, a vertically arranged bearing surface aflixed centrally of the rear wall and in offset relation with respect thereto, and a pair of aligning friction rollers journalled in the apex of said frame, and adapted to travel the inner face of said bearing surface.

8. A mooring device comprising a flotation member adapted to be located and vertically actuated within a suitably formed recess, the latter including rear and side walls, upper and lower frames attached to the top and bottom of the flotation member, aligning guide rollers journalled in the frames and projecting laterally of the flotation member, guide rails carried by the side walls of said recess and coacting with said rollers to guide said flotation member and to resist lateral load stresses, and coacting means between the rear portion of said upper frame and the rear wall of said recess for guiding and resisting the outward load stresses imparted by said mooring element, said means including a vertically arranged bearing surface aflixed centrally of the rear wall and in offset relation with respect thereto, and a pair of aligning friction rollers journalled in the frame and extending to the rear thereof, said rollers being adapted to travel the inner face of said bearing surface.

9. A mooring device comprising a flotation member embodying front, rear and side walls, the latter being arranged in converging relation, said member being disposed for vertical movement within a suitably formed recess, the walls of which parallel the rear and side walls of the flotation member, a super-structure surmounting the flotation member, the bounding walls of the super-structure forming a continuation of those of the flotation member and an anchoring element positioned in a recess formed in the front wall of said super-structure and means in connection with the side Walls of said super-structure and the converging walls of said recess for guiding said member and resisting the outward and lateral load stresses imparted to the mooring element.

10. A mooring device comprising a flotation member embodying front, rear and side walls, the latter being arranged in converging relation, said member being disposed for vertical movement within a suitably formed recess, the walls of which operating with the walls of said recess for guiding said member and resisting the outward and lateral load stresses imparted to the mooring element.

JOHN J. KINGMAN. HUGH J. CASEY. 

